El Centro Espanol was a organization of cigar workers in Ybor City and West Tampa. Build in 1912, members could use the building as a sort of club house or for amenities such as a gym, casino (game room), cafe, etc.
Don Vicente Martinez Ybor established the first cigar factory in Tampa, beginning what was to be the city's major export for decades. Ybor's friend, Gavino Gutierrez, laid out a street grid for the area which became Ybor City.
Ybor City is a historic neighborhood located just northeast of downtown Tampa. It is known as Tampa's Latin Quarter. Portions of the old neighborhood have been designated as a National Historic Landmark District.